Wire case construction



Dec. 26, 1961 R. A. BRUCE WIRE CASE CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 28, 1958 Va lxs ll IIMW ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 26, 1961 R. A. BRUCE WIRE CASE CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 )d/j ATTORNEYS,

ilnited States Patent 3,014,612 WIRE CASE CCNSTRUCTION Robert A. Bruce, Keosauqua, Iowa, assignor to Barker Equipment Company, Keosauqua, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Filed July 2S, 1958, Ser. No. 751,324 4 Claims. (Cl. 220-19) This invention relates to a wire case construction, and particularly to a wire case construction adaptable for use in carrying containers of paper and the like, wherein damage to such containers duringloading, carrying and unloading is substantially prevented.

In many instances at the present time, users of. paper p or the like containers, such as dairies for milk, are using automatic case lling machines. These case til-ling machines usually pick up four quart containers or three half `gallon containers at a time, placing them in the wire case. Some of such'machines pick up 16 quart containers or 9 one-half gallon containers and ll a wire case in one operation.

In performing the filling operation, some of the lling machines pick up the group of containers on the sides by iiat surfaces with sufficient pressure to hold the containers from falling until the vfiat surfaces of the machines are released. Therefore, the flat surfaces, which are usually formed of metal, must enter the wire case along each side between the wires and the containers, and are then pulled out after the cartons or containers reach the bottom of the case.

Since most of the wire cases now used are made to stack one above another, and therefore are provided with wire stacking rings, lsuch as.- shown in my United States Patent No. 2,512,517, Yassigned to Barker Equipment Company, it is impractical to make a larger case for machine iilling. While the regulation size of a case provides suflicient room for the insertion and removal of the at plates described, when they are used a few times and become slightly out of shape, as they are inclined to do, trouble is encountered with the automaticfilling operation.

In some Wire cases as presently constructed, either wire hairpins or straight wires are welded to the inside of the top wire ring to provide a smooth surface fo-r the entry of the containers. A slight crack or crevice is thus formed and the flat metal surfaces of the llng machine may catch in the crevice.

It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide a wire case which is so constructed that it -rnay be filled by automatic case filling mechanism and which is of sufli-' cient strength that it will maintain its shape even under the conditions of rough usage to which it is normally subjected.

It `is another object of the invention to provide a wire case which is so constructedat. the topy thereof as to prevent catching or interference with the portions of automatic case llingme'chanism which must lenter the case.

It is a further object of the invention to materially strengthen wire cases in an inexpensive manner, particularly adjacent the tops thereof,rwhich portion has been their weakest part, and the part which has been most likely to deform or have welded wires broken away from the Weld.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved stacking construction for wire cases.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a wire case with two top rings, and to offset the vertical wires adjacent the top of the case so that such wires contact and may be secured to the interior ofthe lower ring andto the exterior of the upper ring.

It is a further object of theinvention to provide a Wire case such as set forth in the preceding object wherein the lower top ring is of greater diameter than the upper top ring so that the perimeter of this ring lies exteriorly of the vertical outer plane of the upright wires where they contact or connect to the upper ring.

It is an important object of the invention to provide a novel wire case construction so that it will withstand shock regardless of the direction from which a :blow or force comes.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a wire case construction wherein the ends of the upright wires cannot be forced inwardly so as to interfere with automatic iilling machinery.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a wire case wherein the top ring is of smaller diameter wire than the stacking ring and is yet of suflicient strength so that the stacking ring of yan upper case is in effect locked in position but the cases may be readily separated when it is desired to unstack them.

With these and other vobjects in'view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my devicewhereby the objects contemplated are attined, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational View of a wire case constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged,4 fragmentary elevational view taken on line 2--2 of FIGURE l; l

FlGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the wire case;

FIGURE 4 is a partial perspective View of a corner of the case;

FIGURE 5 is a4 partial vertical sectional view of two cases, one stacked on the other; v

FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional view illustrating the positioning of the stacking ring of one case relative to` the top of another case; and

FIGURE 7 is an illustrative View lof the cartons which are to be placed in the wire oase with a portion of the automatic case filling mechanism shown holding. the cartons in position prior to insertion into the case.

Referring specicially to the drawings, the wire case is denoted generally by the numeral 11. lt comprises a generally rectangular bottom wire ring 12, and top and intermediate wire rings 13 and 14, respectively, which are of substantially the same configuration as the bottom wire ring 12. The intermediate wire ring 14 is spaced a short distance ybelow the top wire ring 13 and is preferably of slightly greater diameter than wire ring 13.

Horizontal substantially rectangular Wire rings 15, also are generally provided.

Cross bars 16 are secured to the bottom wire ring 12, and intersecting cross rods 17 are also secured to the wire ring 12. Additional cross members 18 are preferably secured to the cross rods 17, and a stacking lring 19 is secured to these members 18. The stacking ring is prefferably of the same configuration as the remainder of the wire case, but is slightly smaller dimensionally than the top and bottom wire rings 12 and 13.

Vertical wires 20 are provided, and two of them may be connected at the top thereof by a loop 21 forming in effect a hairpin shape, although for the purposes of this invention the loops 2 1 are not necessary. As best shown in FIGURE 5, the upper end portions of the vertical wires 20, are outwardly offset as'shown at 22. Furthery more, the vertical wires 20 are secured to the top ring 14, and the outside surface of the top ring 13. In this arrangement the inner surface of the top ring 13 is disposed in substantially the same planes as the innermost surfaces of the main portionsv of the vertical wires 29, and the outer periphery of the intermediate ring 14 is at least equal to the peripheral dimensions defined at the outermost surfaces of the vertical wires 21).

As a result of the construction of the top, bottom, intermediate and vertical wires, an extremely strong wire case is provided and, with the vertical wires offset as described, it is virtually impossible for the vertical wires to be broken loose and extend inside of the case where they may catch on plates 26 which retain cartons 27 in position in the automatic case loading mechanism which is shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 7. The plates 26 are forced toward each other with the cartons 27 therebetween by any suitable means, a number of standard case loading mechanisms `being available commercially.

`1n addition, the construction of the case is suchk that it is less likely to be distorted and therefore again the automatic case loading mechanism will operate with the cases described in a much better manner than formerly.

The diameter of. the wire of the stacking ring 19, is greater than the diameter of the wire of top ring 13, and said stacking ring is so spaced below the bottom ring 12 that when the case is stacked upon another like case, with the `bottom wire 12 seated upon and in vertical registration with the top ring 13 of a lower case, the maximum horizontal dimension of the wire of the stacking ring is positioned below the maximum horizontal dimension of the wire of the top ring 13 of the lower case. This constructional feature insures good stacking and precludes accidental dislodgement of an upper case relative to a lower case. ln addition, it will be noted from FIGURE 6 that the stacking ring 19, regardless of its position horizontally,v tends to lock at some portion under the top ring 13 of the case therebelow. However, since the top ring 13 and the stacking ring 19 are both preferably round, they will tend to slide with respect to each other when `the cases are unstacked.

The outermost `cross members 1S are each provided intermediate their length with lateral offsets 13a, in position to be secured to an adjacent side of the stacking ring 19. By virtue of this construction the stacking ring is -aclequately reinforced and strengthened at all sides against distortionand. deformation caused by bumping and being dropped, etc.

'Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or `use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

claim:

1. A wire carrying case of the character described, comprising a top frame wire and a bottom frame wire of substantially the same general size and configuration, a plurality of vertical wire members, an intermediate frame wire positioned adjacent the top frame wire and of the same general configuration as the top and lbottom frame wires, the upper end portions of the vertical wire members Ibeing outwardly offset and said vertical wire members contacting the bottom and intermediate frame wires on the inner side thereof and the top frame wire on the outer side thereof, and a stacking ring, connected to and supported -below the bottom frame wire, said stacking ring being of the same general configuration as and of smaller transverse dimensions than the top frame wire, said stacking ring being so dimensioned vertically from the bottom frame wire whereby when said case is stackedy on top of a like case the bottom frame wire is in vertical registration with the top frame wire of the lower case and said stacking ring is disposed within the top frame wire of said lower case with the largest horizontal transverse dimension of the wire of the stacking ring being positioned below the largest horizontal transverse dimension of the wire of the top frame wire of said lower case.

2. A wire carrying case of the character described comprising a top frame wire and a bottom frame wire of substantially the same general size and configuration, a plurality of vertical wire members, an intermediate frame wire positioned adjacent the top frame wire and of the same general configuration as the top and bottom frame wires, said vertical wire members engaging the bottom and intermediate frame wires on the inner side thereof and top frame wire on the outer side thereof, and a stacking ring connected to and supported below the bottom frame wire,v said stacking ring being of the same general configuration as and of smaller transverse dimensions than the top frame wire, said stacking ring being so spaced vertically from the bottom frame wire whereby when said case is stacked on top of a like case the bottom frame wire is in. vertical registration with and above the top frame wire of the lower case and said stacking ring is positioned so that the maximum horizontal transverse dimensionV of the wire thereof lies below the maximum horizontal transverse dimension of the wire of the top frame wire of said lower case.

3. A wire carrying case of the character described comprising a top frame wire and a bottom. frame wire of substantially the same general size and configuration, a plurality of vertical wire members, an intermediate frame wire positioned adjacent the top frame wire and of the same general configuration as the top and bottom frame wires, said vertical wire members engaging the bottom and intermediate frame wires, on the inner side thereof and top frame wire on the outer side thereof, and a stacking ringr connected to andl supported below the bottom frame wire, said stacking ring being of the same general configuration as and of smaller transverse dimensions than the top frame wire, said stacking rngbeing formed of wire ofa'diameter greater than the diameter of the wire of the top frame wire and being so spaced vertically from the bottom frame wire whereby when said case is stacked on top of a like case the bottom frame wire is in vertical registration with and above the top frame wire of the lower case and said stacking ring ispositioned so that the maximum horizontal transverse dimension of the wire thereof lies below the maximum horizontal transverse dimension of the wire of the top frame wire of said lower case.

4. A wire carrying case of the character described comprising a top frame wire and a bottom. frame wire of substantially the same general. size and configuration, a plurality of vertical wire members connecting the top and bottom frame wires, a rst set of spaced apart cross rods connected at opposite ends to opposite portions of the bottom frame wire, a second set of spaced apart cross rods, connected to the underside of and extending normal to the first set of cross rods, and a` stacking ring connected to the outer end portions of each of the second set of cross rods, an intermediate portion of each of the outermost of said second set of cross rods being laterally offset beneath intermediate ones of the irst set of cross rodsv and connected.V to arr adjacent portion of said stacking ring vertically below the said intermediate ones of said iirst set of cross rods.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,252,740 Thornblade Ian. 8, 1918 2,512,517 Bruce June 20, 1950 2,706,064 Vitols Apr. 12, 1955 2,721,671 Averill Oct. 25, 1955v 2,752,062 Swingle June 26, 1956 2,756,896 Hitz July 31, 1956 2,822,951 Tartaglia Feb. 11, 1958 2,850,199 Rehrig Sept. 2, 1958 2,904,211 Bloomquist Sept. 15, 1959 

